Turbo Lag

Finally got my Miata ('92 w/lsd and power steering)

Looking at roll bars like the Hard dog M2 for my car.

The problem is that im 6'5" 230lbs I barely fit in this thing (steering wheel rubs on my legs all the time and my head rubs on the soft top when its up.)

What I am afraid of is that I'm to tall for any of these pre made roll bars or any roll bar possible for that matter. My head would be hitting it because of the position of the seat.

I was thinking of mounting a race seat to the floor and getting an slightly smaller steering wheel to get alittle more space. My main question is will my head clear a roll bar like the M2.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

sounds like you got a long torso. It will be close either way, but you got the right idea.

Will you pass the broomstick test? no, but you will probably get enough clearance to be at or just below the bar.

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

You're on the right track. Cut the seat humps off the floor, put in a race seat mounted as low as possible.

NiklasFalk

iTrader: (1)

No is the short answer. Any bar that is made to fit inside any of the OEM tops is to low (even if you think about having the helmet in line with th top of the bar).

Custom bar and no top or customized Hardtop, combined with the flattest possible seat as low as possible.
Think about a foam seat molded around you sitting directly on the floor (take out the seat and try, you will not get lower). Removing the rear humps would make it easier, and digging into the floor could also be in option list.

6'3" with 34" legs myself, and I have managed to get decently low, but have a hump on the cage to help (no top).

Fireindc

iTrader: (13)

I think you can pull it off. I'm 6'1 and fit most roll bars. Your quite a bit taller than me, but with a lotus elise seat bolted to the floor, and the taller of the hard dog bars (i dont recall which one that is) i think you can pull it off.

As said also cut the hump out of the floor, bolt the seat directly to the floor, smaller steering wheel.

Turbo Lag

Do you have any side shots of you in the car with the roll bar? I dont mind having one made. I also have a robbin's top with a glass window. I havent had alot of time in the car, bought it superbowl sunday LOL

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

There is plenty of room in the cockpit of a Miata to accomodate anybody short of Andre the Giant. If you want proof, just take the drivers seat out and sit on the floor. I'm 6'4/245 and can barely touch the pedals just sitting on the floor. But... you kinda want a seat in there. First, you need a seat that will work with a big guy (doesn't exist). Second, you need to do the mods I highlight in the thread below.

Problem with most bars is that they bolt to the floor, necessitating you can't slide the stock seat all the way back, and aftermarket racing seats (short of a shell) don't help.

Autopower bar bolts to the top of the seat-belt post... no restriction in seat travel.

Also... check out this:
https://www.miataturbo.net/general-miata-chat-9/ultimate-diy-drivers-seat-lotsa-pics-17783/

NiklasFalk

iTrader: (1)

One I found fast
But I have not even measured if the normal top bar of the cage would fit inside a hardtop (if you imagine it without the bulb).

One from the year before (don't comment about the finish...)

billybobster

I've also seen caged Miatas with a raised bar going over the drivers head from back hoop to front. But that won't work w/o a cage, there's nothing to attach to forward, and also soft top unfriendly.

As to seats, I'm not a good personal source as I'm 5' 11" and narrow of rear. My Recaro fits me but not many other people. It's bolted to the floor, but I'm the only person that drives my car. Ironically, we took the spot welded in tabs out, only to make spacers that were the same height to get the right rake.

I did buy a used Ultrashield Spec Miata aluminum seat (and back brace) for my passenger side. I hear that's the seat of choice for the large and tall. I got one because it has generous width to cover a wide range of passenger bottoms. And I'm mounting that to the OEM sliders and drilling a few holes in the back brace tube to make the whole thing adjustable.

curly

iTrader: (25)

Before you waste your money try removing the sliders from the stock seat and placing it on the floor*, that's almost as low as you're going to get. All you can do after that is cut the humps off the floor and never have a chance of putting the stock seat back in.

*don't drive around like this, its only for testing purposes.

Buzz

I am 6'4" 260 and I fit. You will need to cut the humps out of the floor and bolt an ultra shield directly to the floor with no slider. As for the steering wheel get a deep dish (Nascar style) so the wheel sits close to you and your knees are in front of it. I have a Hard Dog role bar (that was in the car already) and it goes as high as a bar can with a roof attached. I would attach some pictures but my car is in the shop.

Turbo Lag

Im not even sure if I want to compete in this car. The Miata will probably just end up being a weekend car. My wrx on the other hand is my daily, but its loud, rough and decently fast(bigger turbo...etc). I wanna get away from that for a daily. I just dont wanna die if I roll this soft top thing. I drive my WRX really hard especially at local track days (oval/mini road course). How much does a hard top due as far as structural integrity and protection of my nugget.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

I don't want to sound like a dick, but if you post in the track section about fitting a seat to get low, 95% of the suggestions will tell you to do things you don't want to do to a daily.

In your case (with this new application), I suggest you keep the stock seats and do a foamectomy.

Mobius

iTrader: (2)

Nothing. As soon as the car gets flexed or any shear forces hit the top it pops right off. The very first thing you should do, as Track suggested, is take most of the foam out of the seat. I have done this to my car, there is lots of foam to take out. Details here.

1:14:

FatKao

That car did not have the side latches attached.

e:

Not claiming it will protect your head, but it should at least keep your arms in.

Turbo Lag

That's way scary that crash video. Ive never owned anything soft top, I have owned a Targa top vehicle though. I posted in the race prep section cause that's where I thought it was suitable for roll bar discussing.

exST165

I don't know how you guys are doing it. I'm 6'2" but carry a lot of my height in my torso. Here is a photo of me sitting on the floor and I don't fit under the top much less pass the broomstick test:



To make this work I think my only option is to get radical:

http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.p...c=40442&st=260

TIA,
Thomas

curly

iTrader: (25)

That or throw a pad on the floor and back. lulz.

NiklasFalk

iTrader: (1)

I see absolutely no drawback with this, unless you some midget that would like to have a go, they will not see over the wheel
If I had not been such a lazy one, This would have been the "proper" solution to keep all the stock stuff too (humps and all). Today I bolt (M8s is most of the holes after the spot welds) the humps back when I need to use a stock seat.

But digging deeper like that does not make the space any wider (which seats for non-midgets usually need).
For LHD ones the exhaust will need to be shielded more (and/or wrapped) since you will have it even more on your hip. But heat management is an issue already at normal installations.

RacingFootage

Hey Guys, just joined the forum and came across this thread.

So I'm 6'7" and have done 2 HPDEs so far in my Miata.
Mid-Ohio and Summit Point

I did 4 things.

1. Put in a M1 Harddog Roll Bar - the NON Hardtop version

2. Bolted a Kirkey 20degree (this is the slope of the miata parcel shelf) economy seat directly through the floor. I used a cutoff wheel to cutout around the seat humps, so I can still go back to the stock seat. (20 degrees is the slope of the miata parcel shelf)

3. Installed an I/O Port seat back brace to my AL seat ( required for safety)

4. Installed Hardtop using bolt in brackets. These are required for racing anyway, and it allows you to use the non hardtop version of the hard-dog roll bar- you gain ~ 1" over the hardtop version, and it fits just fine under the hardtop. The new version is just for the latches to fit.
The Hardtop is a big help because it reduces the number of questions people have at tech. they just pass you.

Bonus changes. This seat is super uncomfortable, its flat and makes your but go numb. To fix this I created my own "Sparco Seat Bump" Using a water noodle from Wal-Mart that is cut to my seat width and then zip-tied to the leading edge of the seat. It is covered by the kirkey seat cover so it looks less ghetto that it sounds. Makes a really big difference too!


Anyway, I've got the car still, and getting ready for another season, if this thread still has some interested people, post up here and I'll shoot some pics of my setup.

Later,
Adam